recycling in greece. a success story?
DESCRIPTION
This is a presentation of Aida Anthouli, Communication & Environmental Manager of D-Waste. It was first presented during the Workshop of HSWMA - SeSWA - ISWA: “Opportunities and barriers of Recycling in Balkan-Countries” which was held at the Technical University of Athens, Greece on November 30, 2012. The presentation focuses on the accomplishments, opportunities and barriers of waste recycling in Greece.TRANSCRIPT
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This presentation is based on a HSWMA’s report presented during the Workshop HSWMA - SeSWA - ISWA: “Opportunities and barriers of Recycling in Balkan-Countries”, 30th November 2012, Athens, Greece, by A. Anthouli and R. Charitopoulou
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• Introduction• Recycling in EU• Recycling in Greece
LegislationCurrent situationChallengesStakeholdersRecycling Systems
• Recommendations• Conclusions
Contents
Recycling in EU
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The long-term goal is for the EU to become a recycling society, that seeks to avoid waste and uses waste as a resource. (Them. Strategy)
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Thematic Strategy on Waste Prevention & Recycling, 2005
Waste FrameworkDirective
(Includes Municipal & ConstructionDemolition waste)
Waste Shipment Regulation
Incineration Directive
Landfill Directive Recycling Standards(future)
Packaging Batteries WEEE &
Restriction of use
Vehicles Mining waste
SewageSludge
PCB/ PCT
with targets
framew
ork
treatmen
tstream
s
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EU Waste hierarchy
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Trends in Generation of Municipal Waste in Europe
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Trends in Generation of Municipal Waste in Europe
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• Average annual use of material resources - around 16 tons/person.
• Overall trend in waste generation, including hazardous waste, is upwards.
• Total waste generation in EU-27, Turkey, Norway, Iceland, Croatia: 3 billion tons (2006)
• Total hazardous waste generation: 88 million tons (2006)
• Total municipal waste generation: 260 million tons (2008)
• 524 kg/cap municipal waste generation (2008), large differences between countries
Europe - An overweight “lady”
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24%
37%
0%
14%
23%
45%
12%
32%
17%15%
18%20%
16%
9%
3%
26%
18%
7%
28%30%
15%
11%
1%
43%
4%
20%
36%
25%27%
34%
3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
EU (2
7 co
untr
ies)
Belg
ium
Bulg
aria
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Den
mar
k
Ger
man
y
Esto
nia
Irel
and
Gre
ece
Spai
n
Fran
ce
Italy
Cypr
us
Latv
ia
Lith
uani
a
Luxe
mbo
urg
Hun
gary
Mal
ta
Net
herl
ands
Aus
tria
Pola
nd
Port
ugal
Rom
ania
Slov
enia
Slov
akia
Finl
and
Swed
en
Uni
ted
King
dom
Nor
way
Switz
erla
nd
Croa
tia
2010
Recycling performance in Europe (% of the total MSW generated)
Source: Eurostat, (2012a)
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Total turnover of recycling in the EU
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• Less use of virgin materials - opportunity for decoupling of material use from economic growth,
• Resources are kept in a close-loop process (represents a more circular instead of a linear economy, where resources are depleted & wasted)
• Less use of virgin non-renewable resources.• EU maintains secure supplies of rare or precious
metals that are necessary for the production of new technologies, (ex. e-mobility, information & communication technologies & renewable energy),
• Creation of green jobs.
301,000 people employed in recycling sector in EU(2007) vs 174,000 (2000).
Recycling - key element in the Green Economy
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• Increased demand on materials
• Illegal shipping of waste, & poor
environmental framework
• Immigration & scavengers
• Increase of global environmental
awareness & international treaties
• Human & international networks
Recycling in the era of Globalisation & interconnectivity
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Recycling in Greece
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• Greece is a full member of the EU & has to adjust its legislative framework to comply with the European legislation.
• To a large extent, European legislation is incorporated well to the national law & the legislative framework for waste management can be considered sufficient & well elaborated.
Legislation & Policy framework
“Problems usually arise at the level of implementation”
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Municipal waste in Greece by treatment
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
2004 2006 2008 2010
kg
pe
r c
ap
ita
Recycling andcomposted
Incinerated
Landfilled
Source: Eurostat, 2012
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• Collection coverage reaches 100 %
• Generation of MSW was increasing, until 2009. Currently, a significant decrease in generation per capita. (around 20%, due to financial crisis).
Current situation
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• 28 Materials Recovery Facilities (covering 80% of population) - export of sorted recyclables due to limited capacity
• 79 compliant landfills; they are not sufficient!
• 4 MBT plants of approximately 580.000 t/y
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• Integration of EU legislation in Greek laws
• Adoption of Green Growth Strategic Action Program (2010-2015)
• Successful operation & established experience of recycling systems
• Increase in recycling rates
• Closure of illegal landfills
• Pilot project on PAYT schemes
• Industry initiatives to reduce packaging material
Positive steps
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• Waste facilities have entered tendering phase (Pelloponese, Western Macedonia, Serres, Ilia & Aitoloacarnania), 2 more have been announced (Attica & Patra).
• Target of 5% separate collection of biowaste by 2015 & increase to 10% by 2020
• Introduction of landfill tax of untreated waste from January 2014. (set at 35 €/t of waste & increase annually by 5 €/t until 60 €/t)
Expected
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• More waste treatment infrastructure needs to comply with EU waste hierarchy
• Improve in great degree the separate collection of municipal waste at source
• Put an end to the high share of biodegradable waste are still disposed in landfills
• Decrease administrative & institutional drawbacks
Challenges
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• Improve waste management planning.
• Improve monitoring, regulations & enforcement.
• Implement & increase the landfill tax.
• Introduce restrictions in landfilling of certain waste streams.
• Implement a tax on MBT.
• Enforce Extended Producers Responsibility schemes.
• Introduce PAYT schemes.
• Utilise available EU funds.
Measures
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• Significant dependence on landfilling• Lack of treatment infrastructure• Regardless decisions taken many times in the past, there is slow progress in the implementation of projects (main problems are funding, NIMBY)
• Waste management is low on the political agenda of the decision makers & subject to “political cost”
• Lack of economic instruments to move up the waste hierarchy
• MBT facilities have difficulties in finding market for their products
• Municipalities have no binding targets to be met
Waste treatment
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• Collection coverage is 80%• Not all local authorities cooperate the same with Recovery Systems
• Mostly mixed collection of packaging waste & not separate collection of all streams
• High share of impurities • Low level of environmental awareness in the public• No incentives for households to participate in separate collection
• Scavenging has significantly increased, especially for metal and scrap metal, and theft has risen sharply the last 2 years
Separate collection
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• A very high share of biodegradable waste goes to landfills - 87,3% landfilled in 2009
• Not accurate statistics
• Insufficient composting
• No separate collection of bio-waste
• No anaerobic digestion/biogas plants available
• Outdated compost quality standards
• Limited market
• Delays in the procurement & implementation of waste management infrastructure
Biodegradable waste
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• Definition of “treatment” (i.e. minimum standards) in implementation of landfill tax is unclear.
• Overlapping of responsibilities between ministries(MEECC, Ministry of Interior & Ministry of Development), Regional Authorities & Municipalities
• The recent reform, “Kallikratis” is not yet completed, delays the projects.
• No update of national Waste Management Plans.• Probably no Waste Procurement Projects until end of 2013.• Serious delays in planning, procurement &
implementation of waste management projects (although funds are available)
• Waste debate in Greece is strongly related to politics, & strong NIMBY phenomena exist
Administrative & institutional drawbacks
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• Government (implement legislation, monitoring role)• Local Authorities (managerial, ex. collection, monitoring role) • Regions (responsible for planning & financial details of waste
management programs)• Non Profit Companies/bodies (authorised management
systems)• FoDSA (Organisations for the Integrated Management of Solid
Waste)• Companies/Producers (responsible for recycling financing
system)• Syndicates, universities, NGOs (consultant role in policy &
legislation)• Citizens (main actors, since on their contribution relies the
success of all efforts).• Informal systems (scavengers)
Stakeholders
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• Packaging material• Batteries• Oils• Cars• Tyres• Lamps• WEEE
Systems of Alternative Management of Waste
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Waste stream and legal approval Type Range Name
Package & packaging waste (L. 2939/2001)
C N HERRCO
C N REWARDING RECYCLING**
I N ΑΒ VΑSΙLΟPΟΥLΟSC N KEPED (oil packaging only)
Motor oils residues (PD 82/2004 ) C N ELTEPE
End of Life Vehicles (PD 116/2004) C N EDOEPortable batteries & accumulators (PD 115/2004, amended by MD 41624/2057/Ε103/2010)
C N AFIS
C N Re-Battery
C N SYDESISC R SEDIS-K
WEEE, (PD 117/2004 & PD 15/2006)
C N APPLIANCES RECYCLING S.A.
C N FOTOKIKLOSI S.A (lighting equipment and light bulbs only)
Used tires (PD 109/2004 ) C N ECOELASTIKA
C&D waste (MD 36259/1757/Ε103/2010)
C R ANABE S.A
C R SANKEC R CHALKIDIKI*C R SEDPEKAT
Operating systems, 2011
C=Collective, I=Individual, R=Regional, N= Nationwide *Approval is expected by HRA, **Temporary withdrawal licence
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• One of the highest recycling rates in Europe (target for 25% recycling for 2012 has already been met)
• A very extended collection system, very apprehensive awareness, & advertisement campaign (schools & Mass Media).
• 657 tonnes collected - represent 31,3 % of the overall distributed amount of portable batteries in the country. Comparing throughout Europe is a very high percentage.
A success story
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• Systems material recycling output had a rising trend until 2009
• Significant challenge for all Systems is the ‘free riders’ problem.
• 17 different licensed Systems showed very good results in the collection / recycling / recovery of the waste streams.
• The latest recycling results of the Systems in Greece demonstrate that targets have been achieved for most material streams.
Summing up
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Brought reduction of the collection of recyclables
Due to:• The reduction of the consumption due to the
financial recession - 20% reduction in MW production
• The theft of valuable recyclables from the collection bins from the rising informal sector
• The social & administrative system lost cohesion• Municipalities lacking of financial resources in many
cases went “backwards” with their recycling programs
• Recycling systems are facing financial difficulties
Financial crisis
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• The recycling definition should be made more clear. In order to quantify better recycling rates. For example what exactly stands for packaging waste in Greece?
• Monitoring of the systems should be further improved,
• HRA is a positive step for setting the framework of Recycling in Greece - needs more support in order to be able to meet increased demands.
• Legislation is more or less in place, some improvements could be further implemented
Recommendations 1
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• There is space to increase the efficiency of the recycling companies in an optimal degree
• Increase awareness campaigns & include in the decision process citizens groups, NGOs, etc
• Collection points should be further increased in some streams, & methods of separate collection & collection rules that improve the quality, quantity & financially viability of the systems should be implemented
• Cooperation between systems, & local authorities should be strengthened.
• Opportunities should be offered to the informal sector to stop being an enemy while improving work, safety, & health conditions of scavengers
Recommendations 2
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• There is a lot of space from improvement, both in organisation of the systems, the quantities gathered & the number of waste streams recycled.
• Major changes in WM in Greece are required :
• introduction of new technologies & stringent operation
regimes for landfills
• to the calculation of costs & charges to the public &
the structure,
• organisation & operation of the waste management
authorities.
Conclusions
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Greek waste philosophy needs to be upgraded to meet demanding targets, criteria & standards, while keeping cost increases to a minimum.
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